Everything Looks Different
by Miss Quartermain
Summary: Before there was Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, there was a young prince and princess, who fell in love through very interesting circumstances.  This is the story of how they met and fell in love.  King/Queen pairing.  Pre-film.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All I really own at this point are the names that I gave to the king and queen, and this plot. Even then, I will admit that I am stealing plot ideas from other fairy tales, which also do not belong to me.

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Chapter One

Princess Eleanor was not always the sad young woman that she found herself to be at this time. There had once been a time when she laughed and jested with her ladies-in-waiting quite freely, but such a time was in the past. Ever since the death of her mother, only two years ago, Princess Eleanor could not be made to laugh, or even to smile. All the ladies of the court tried to make their beautiful young Princess smile, but none could succeed.

Her poor father, the king, was at a loss about what to do for his daughter, despite trying everything he could to once more make his daughter laugh as she once had. He longed for the days when Princess Eleanor would dance and sing like any other young girl her age, and it broke his heart to see her so melancholy. Still, the Princess Eleanor seemed determined to remain in such a glum state, despite the best efforts of those surrounding her.

She had been remarkably close to her mother, so it was no surprise to anyone that she took the death of the queen the hardest. What did surprise those who surrounded the Princess was how long it took her to recover from the shock of losing her beloved mother. Even two years after, there was no hiding the fact that the young Princess still suffered from the loss of the queen. Perhaps what was needed was to arrange a marriage for the beautiful Princess, many whispered when they thought she could not hear them. After all, to have someone in her life for whom she could be the focus of their entire world…that could only do a world of good for the young girl. But not even the prospect of marriage could pull the Princess out of her deep apathy, and soon the entire court began to fear that nothing would ever be able to make their beloved Princess happy again.

In a moment of total despair, the king made a proclamation that any man who could earn a smile or laugh from his adored daughter would have her hand in marriage. Naturally, this offer was one that was met with great eagerness from all the various lords and princes from the surrounding kingdoms. Particularly by one young Prince in the kingdom of Corona.

Prince William of Corona had heard much of the beauty and grace of the Princess Eleanor, and was determined that one day he and the Princess should meet. Even though there were kingdoms far wealthier and more powerful than that of the Princess Eleanor, Prince William did not seek an alliance with any of these other kingdoms. After all, many of the noble lords of his court were already connected to these kingdoms in some way or another. It would not be an insult to any of these rulers for him to marry the Princess Eleanor. It was with this in mind that young Prince William approached his mother, the aging Queen Mercia, with his plan to meet the Princess Eleanor.

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Queen Mercia was used to the habits of her son, who was primarily a scholar and one who would much rather bury himself in the library than speak with those of the court. So, when her son came to speak to her when he would usually be studying with his tutors, she was more than a little surprised. Looking up from the book that she had been reading to herself, the queen smiled welcomingly at her son and beckoned him towards her.

Many who saw the queen and her son together would assume that she was his grandmother rather than his mother, as she was so very old. In fact, no one in the kingdom could remember a time when their beloved queen had not appeared old to them. Even when she first married her husband, King Roland, she had been well into her thirties, and it had been a surprise to find that she was capable of bearing a child at all, let alone doing so safely. Of course, the entire kingdom rejoiced when the young Prince was born healthy and strong, and no one ever dared to whisper that the queen might be barren again, as she had successfully produced an heir.

There was little physical resemblance between Queen Mercia and Prince William. He took more after his father than his mother, though the Prince had inherited his mother's blue eyes. Beyond that, the resemblance ended, with Queen Mercia being short and rather plump while her son was tall and well-built, his features very sharp and yet handsome in their own way. But there could be no doubt of the love that existed between mother and son.

"Come here, my child," the queen said as her son drew nearer. "What is troubling you?"

Taking his mother's hand in his, the young Prince bowed low and kissed his mother's hand respectfully, smiling fondly at her. "I am not troubled, mother," he assured her. "Merely…thoughtful."

"I see," the queen replied, not at all convinced with this answer. "Then why are you here and not at your studies, as you usually are at this hour?"

A sheepish smile crossed her son's face as he chuckled a little. Sitting down in the armchair across from her, the Prince sighed heavily and stared at his hands for a moment before speaking. "Mother, I have decided that it is time I find a bride."

Queen Mercia tried to not show it, but she was relieved to hear her son say such a thing. She had been hoping that he would be married some time ago, but such had not been the case, and she was beginning to worry. After all, she would not be alive forever, and her son would need a wife and eventually an heir. The kingdom needed a strong ruling family, after all. Smiling softly at her son, Queen Mercia took his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze.

"I'm pleased to hear it," she said honestly. "Though…" a thought occurred to her as she arched an eyebrow at her son. "Am I to understand that you have chosen a prospective bride for yourself?"

For a moment or two, William was silent as he continued to stare at his hands, not bothering to meet his mother's gaze. He nodded silently and cleared his throat before he answered. "I think that I might have." Looking up at his mother, William sighed. "The Princess Eleanor."

Queen Mercia arched an eyebrow at this as she considered this for a moment. Finally, she sighed heavily and stood up, moving to place a hand on his shoulder with a smile. "If you think that this is what you want, my dear, then I will not stop you. Though…" she paused and gave her son's shoulder a squeeze. "I hope that you know what you are doing, my dear. But I will not hold you back, if this is what you truly want. Now…you go and find your bride."

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Author's Note: Well…so I lied a little bit. I won't be doing my huge AU for a little bit. Instead, I will be writing this! A little fluff piece for the king and queen of _Tangled_! This is how they became a couple, and I just could not resist giving them their own fairy tale. Anywho…for those who are probably wondering, this piece is not necessarily a prequel to the _Flower Glow_, _Let Your Power Shine_, and _The Tales of Eugene Fitzherbert_ stories I've already written. It has the same names for the King and Queen, yes, but it can stand on its own. I will not be addressing how Granny and Gothel know each other in this story, for the record. That will come up in _Let Your Power Shine_.

Well, there's all I have to say! So you enjoy this little fluff-fest! And don't forget to review!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: At this point, the only thing that I own is this interpretation of the king and queen that I am using. Anything else that you recognize is not mine.

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Chapter Two

Eleanor had not left her room all day. She had felt there was no reason for her to do so. All that she would face once she walked through her bedroom doors would be prattling ladies maids and boring nobles who would try their hardest to attempt to ease her sadness. In the end, they wouldn't be able to. No one truly was able to, and it was starting to grate on Eleanor's nerves. Soon their attempts at making her laugh would only begin to make her angry. The fact that her father had simply made attempting to get her to come out of her despair into some sort of contest, only angered her further.

Stepping away from the window where she had been standing, Eleanor made her way to the doors of her bedroom and silently debated whether or not she should bother leaving. If anything, it would be very relaxing for her to go out into the royal gardens. It was the only place where she truly felt welcome anymore after all this time. At least there, no one could judge her too much for the fact that she still missed her mother so very much. That thought decided it.

Turning to her wardrobe, Eleanor pulled on a simpler dress than the one she was currently wearing and made her way to the gardens. Once there, she was truly able to relax, and this showed in her posture. Her shoulders instantly became less tight and stiff as she settled in her own private section of the garden.

From the time she was old enough to walk, Princess Eleanor had always had a fascination with the gardens and those who worked there. The gardeners were always kind to her, and often encouraged her to visit them when she did not have lessons. So in the difficult times of her life, Eleanor had always known that in the gardens she would be safe. In the time since her mother's death, she had been spending so many hours among the gardens that her father had finally had a specific section set aside for her, where she could plant and tend whatever she wished to. Currently, the only things that were growing in her little plot of land were daffodils and petunias, her mother's favorite flowers.

Kneeling down besides her small plot of dirt, the Princess began to work at weeding around the flowers, which were only just starting to grow. The menial task, which most people of her class would find degrading, provided Eleanor with exactly the peace and soothing that she needed. In the simple actions, she found solace in ways that doing needlework with her ladies-in-waiting or attending classes could not begin to provide. She became so engrossed in tending to the plants that she did not notice a new face among the army of gardeners.

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William had planned everything perfectly. He did not want to come bounding into the city with trumpets blaring and criers announcing his coming and his intentions. That would simply be…embarrassing. The last thing that William wanted was to make a big show of his coming to the kingdom of King Tristan, as that would simply put him in the middle of a spotlight that he did not want. So, instead, he arrived without any pomp or celebrations, escorted by only a few soldiers and his valet. This seemed to surprise old King Tristan, but he still greeted Prince William with all the courtesy that was due the Prince of such a wealthy kingdom as Corona.

It was only when William mentioned that he would rather the Princess not be alerted to his presence that King Tristan became wary.

"But…why would you wish such a thing? You've come to seek her hand, haven't you?" the old man asked, his large green eyes filled with confusion.

"I have, sire," William replied, perfectly calm and polite. "But I would rather not make a show out of this. Instead…I wish to attempt to fulfill the condition that you yourself have created for any man who is seeking the hand of your daughter. Then will I make myself known in a more…proper fashion."

This seemed to further confuse the old king for some time, but after King Tristan had puzzled through this for a moment or two, he finally consented. Though he insisted that Prince William still be an honored guest within the palace, allowed to roam wherever he so chose. William did not argue with this, though he did ask where the Princess Eleanor was most often to be found.

"Oh, in the gardens," King Tristan explained. "She spends every moment she can there…poor child."

William stored this information away and retired to the chambers given to him, hoping to come up with a plan of action before the night was done. Thankfully, he had not yet seen the Princess, as he did not wish to have her prejudiced against him for being another suitor who sought her hand, no doubt for the wealth that such a mach would bring to the groom. No…William had heard much of the young Princess Eleanor, and he was here solely to see if the woman lived up to her reputation. Also…there was the small matter of her father's condition; making the Princess smile again.

William could understand, and even empathize with, the pain that came from losing a parent. Perhaps, with such empathy, he could win the Princess' affections. Though he would not get his hopes up just yet. There was much to be done before he would allow himself such a hope.

That was when he remembered what the king had said about Princess Eleanor spending a great deal of her time in the gardens. A sudden idea struck William as he watched his valet unpack his belongings, as their stay promised to be a long one.

"I think I've finally come up with a plan, Cedric," William announced.

The valet was a young man that William had grown up with, and the son of the old king of Corona's steward. As such, Cedric and William had always had a bond of friendship. They were quite similar in temperament, which made them well-suited to one another as friends, though Cedric was much smaller and thinner than the Prince was. With pale blonde hair and almost watery blue eyes, Cedric looked far too delicate to be a valet, though he performed his duties well.

Looking up from his current task, Cedric arched a pale eyebrow at the Prince. "Have you now, Your Highness?" he asked, drawling as though uninterested, though he was really quite the opposite.

"Yes," William replied, smiling in mild satisfaction. "I shall become a gardener for a time, to learn more of the Princess Eleanor, before attempting to win her hand."

The pale eyebrow climbed higher as Cedric calmly met William's gaze. "If you think it best, Your Highness," he said noncommittally. "Though won't the king find this a most…unorthodox method of wooing the Princess?"

"Well, it _is_ a tad unorthodox," William admitted. "But I think it just might work."

Cedric actually snorted slightly at this. Any other servant would have been punished for voicing such disbelief to the Prince, but William simply gave his friend a questioning look, silently urging his valet to voice his concerns. "If I may say, sire, you won't pass for a gardener. Those hands have never touched soil before, and if the Princess is as passionate for gardening as the king has implied, then she will see through your charade in a moment."

William laughed loudly at this, patting the smaller man on the shoulder. "But that is where you will help me, Cedric," he said. "You are going to turn me into a rough gardener by the morning, and then the plan will go perfectly."

"As you wish, Your Highness."

And so, William now stood in the gardens, watching the Princess Eleanor as she began digging in the dirt surrounding some flowers that, according to the head gardener, she had planted herself. It had not been easy to convince the head gardener to allow William to go through with this, but when William swore to do all that he needed to in order to make this act work, the older man had been willing enough. Perhaps it was because he found the whole thing amusing, but William did not really care at this point.

For one thing, the Princess Eleanor was far lovelier than her reputation had suggested. Even with the look of melancholy that seemed to hang around her, she was a beautiful young woman with her dark brown hair that fell past her shoulder blades, large green eyes, and delicate features. Her eyes, while inherited from her father, held far more intelligence and curiosity in their depths than the king's, and that added a sort of elegance to her beauty. And then there was how sad she was. Even here, in a place that her father had said was where she was most comfortable, the Princess didn't smile even slightly. All she did was nod to the gardeners that she recognized before turning her attention back to her flowers. Other men would no doubt see this sadness and say that it detracted from her beauty, but William was of a different mind. If anything, he felt very strongly that, while Princess Eleanor would no doubt be far lovelier when she smiled, her sadness was still beautiful in a rather heartbreaking way.

William would have stayed there, simply staring at the Princess, for the rest of the day, but the head gardener wasn't about to allow that.

"Quit your gawkin', boy!" the old man snapped, winking conspiratorially with William as he hobbled past. "Don't pay ye ta stand around starin' at people."

As the old man spoke, William could feel his ears turning a deep shade of scarlet. This did not improve at all when he saw that the Princess had heard this, and was staring right back at him. Her large green eyes seemed to bore into him as he tried to look as though he knew what he was meant to be doing. Clearing his throat nervously, he shifted uncomfortably and looked around for a moment before finally meeting the Princess' gaze. A slight arch of her eyebrow was her only expression. There was no welcoming smile or anything even close to a smile, but William could not hold that against her. He knew about her past from all the many attempts by her father to get her to show some happiness. Nodding politely, he smiled at her.

The Princess gave him a curious look, but still no smile. She nodded back before turning her attention to the plants in front of her.

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It wasn't until after the strange new young man had left that Eleanor turned to the head gardener to find out who he was. The old man had been Eleanor's mentor within the gardens since she was still very small, and so they were very fond of one another. The old man smiled quietly at her and rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Just a new lad," he said with a dismissive shrug. "He'll not trouble you, I don't think."

Eleanor nodded and idly ran her fingers through the dirt in front of her. Well…she thought to herself. This new lad was rather handsome. Certainly not in the flashy way that most of the princes who came to visit and seek her hand in marriage, but that was not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, Eleanor found that she preferred this young man's brand of handsome to that of all the peacocks who tried to win her over. Sighing softly, she rose to her feet and made her way towards her rooms, glancing over her shoulder to see if she could spot the young man in question again. She could not, and simply continued towards her room. Perhaps things would not be so bad…

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Author's Note: Yes, yes, I am being such a fairy tale dork and using the typical "Prince disguises himself as a commoner to win the Princess" plot, but can you honestly blame me? It works so well for this! Oh, and I think that young!William is the darned cutest thing, really. I can just see him now, trying to figure out what the heck you use a trowel for. Don't worry, while this _is _primarily a fluffy story for the sake of writing fluff, there will be some mild action and conflict. I intend to be very cruel to Eleanor and William.

Enjoy, and don't forget to review!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: The first thing I would have done if I owned Tangled would be to tell us a little bit more about kid!Eugene. Then I'd tell the story of the king and queen.

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Chapter Three

William sighed a little as Princess Eleanor walked out of the gardens. He had hoped that he could at least speak to her…perhaps another time. The old head gardener came up beside him and cleared his throat pointedly. Jumping a little in surprise, William gave the old man a sheepish look.

"She'll talk ta ye soon 'nough, lad," he said confidently. "She talks ta ev'ryone works here. At least she noticed ye. Most days she's out here…she doesn't notice anyone 'less they tread on her hand."

Somehow, that did not really make William feel that much better about his predicament. By the time he stumbled into the more humble rooms that the king had given to William upon hearing the Prince's scheme, William felt far more exhausted than he had in his life. Even though this was merely an act, the old head gardener—named Edgar, William had learned—was a hard taskmaster, and would not let William off easy, Prince or no. Thankfully Cedric didn't chuckle _too_ much when he saw the state that the young Prince was in. At least…not in William's presence.

"Having trouble adapting, are you, Your Highness?" the blonde man asked with a badly-suppressed smile.

"You can save your amusement for later, Cedric," William replied in a tired voice, collapsing on the bed. "I hope the king has not been…er…kind enough to invite us to dinner?"

"No, sire," Cedric responded, helping William pull off his boots. "He sent his compliments, however, and said that he wishes you luck in your endeavor. From the tone that the man delivering the message used, I'd wager His Majesty thinks that you are doomed to fail."

"How encouraging," William grumbled. "Well, at the moment I'm far too tired to care. If you could see to some dinner…then I will be more than grateful to you."

Smiling a little to himself, Cedric nodded and went off to do just that, leaving the exhausted Prince alone to fall asleep or wait for his dinner as he chose.

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Eleanor enjoyed her dinners with her father, when it was just the two of them. Dinners with other lords and ladies were too strained for her. All of those strangers trying to gain her attention, hoping that they would be the one to make her smile and thereby gain her hand in marriage. They wouldn't become the ruler of the kingdom alongside Eleanor after her father's death, however, which did not seem to discourage any of these would-be suitors. Even though Eleanor would not rule after her father, as the kingdom would go to the nearest male relative, she was considered quite a prize. The wealth that would be gained through marriage to her would be substantial, and that was incentive enough to anyone who sought her hand.

That did not make things any easier for Eleanor herself, though. She was growing tired of all the men chasing after her and trying to gain her hand in marriage. Thankfully, tonight she would not have to deal with any of those lords and ladies. Nor would she have to dress up for them. After cleaning off her hands, she pulled on one of her favorite simple dresses before she went to join her father for dinner. Her father was waiting for her as he always did, and she moved over to kiss him on the forehead.

"Hello, my dear," he said with a sigh. "And where have you been today?"

"In the gardens," Eleanor replied with a slight shrug. "Did…did you know that there is a new young man working in the gardens? How long has he been working for us?"

Eleanor wasn't certain, but she could have sworn that her father flinched slightly. But it passed before she could be absolutely sure that she had seen that. Frowning a little to herself, she turned her attention to her food.

"I was not aware that there was a new young man in the gardens," he said in a soft voice. "Have you spoken to him yet?"

"No…I haven't," Eleanor admitted. "Though I was rather interested in where he could have come from."

Her father did not seem eager to discuss this, however, so Eleanor allowed the conversation to take a different turn, though she was infinitely curious about why her father did not wish to talk about a new gardener. Normally he was very open to hearing Eleanor talk about the time she spend in the gardens, as it was one of the few things that made her feel remotely happy anymore. If he didn't want to talk about this particular gardener…that only made Eleanor even more curious about this strange new young man.

"Perhaps…perhaps I will spend tomorrow in the gardens as well," Eleanor said towards the end of the meal. "I…I really do not feel up to facing the dignitaries who are currently visiting. All I want is to be left to my own devices for a few days, until I am ready to face our visitors."

A slightly pained look crossed her father's face, but Eleanor looked away before he could try to meet her gaze. Her father knew how much she hated to see him in pain of any kind, especially now when they were all that one another had, and he would not hesitate to use that knowledge in his favor. Seeing that Eleanor would not meet his gaze, her father sighed heavily and nodded.

"If you feel that is best, my dear, then I cannot say no."

Well, he certainly _could_, but both he and Eleanor knew that he never would. The king was far too fond of his daughter to ever deny her anything, though several people would say that he spoiled her. Eleanor felt this was not the case, and she was grateful for all that her father would do for her, including bending to her will in cases such as these. Reaching over to place her hand over her father's, Eleanor gave him a grateful look, though she didn't smile. Neither of them could hope for that much, even when alone together.

"Thank you, papa," she said earnestly, giving his hand a squeeze. "I promise that I will be in the library tomorrow for our usual reading together."

This seemed to soothe her father somewhat, and the meal continued in silence as they both pondered over all that had been said by the other. When it finally came time for Eleanor to bid her father good night, she did so with a reluctant sigh. Saying good night meant that she would be asleep soon, and sleep meant that the dreams would begin their plaguing of her all over again.

Ever since the death of her mother, Eleanor had been beset with nightmares. Oh, she used to have the typical nightmares of childhood, but in the last two years, these had become something far worse. It wasn't that she saw anything particularly gruesome or horrifying…simply that there was this presence of evil that she knew she couldn't escape. The fear that these dreams inspired in her was crippling, and it made her wish that she never had to sleep. But sleep she must, otherwise she would be unable to perform any of her duties. And so, Eleanor managed to live with the nightmares.

Making her way slowly to her rooms, Eleanor didn't really watch where she was going. She knew these halls better than anyone except the servants, and so she was confident that she wouldn't get lost. Still, what she had not anticipated was to run into the very young man that she had been thinking of. Looking up in surprise when she heard someone approaching, she was very surprised to see the young man from the gardens.

"Oh!" she said in surprise. "Forgive me, I didn't think that…that I would find anyone else in the halls at this time."

The young man in question flushed a little and ducked his head, as was only polite when dealing with royalty. Still, it was not something that Eleanor relished. Sighing a little in exasperation, she motioned for him to at least look at her. He did, and Eleanor noticed that he had very blue eyes; piercingly blue eyes that seemed to reach into Eleanor's very soul and seek out all of her secrets. Clearing her throat slightly, Eleanor did her best to regain the imperious look that she was so well-known for.

"Might I ask why a gardener is wandering through the halls of the palace?" she asked with a slight arch of her eyebrows.

The poor young man's face flushed even more at this and stared fixedly at his feet. "I was…visiting a friend who works among the servants," he muttered. "Forgive me, Your Highness."

A curious look crossed Eleanor's face as she looked at him and she once more motioned for him to meet her gaze. He truly was very handsome, she decided. And looking at his hands, she arched her eyebrow a little higher. He wasn't a gardener. At least, he had not been for long. Those were the hands of a scholar, not a hard laborer. In time he would gain the callused hands of someone who spent their days working in the dirt.

Glancing down at her own hands at this thought, a rueful look crossed Eleanor's face. Most princesses had delicate and soft hands, but not Eleanor. She had the hands of a farmer's daughter from all those months and years spent in the gardens. Her thoughts were interrupted as she glanced up to see the new gardener staring curiously at her. Once more arranging her features into an unconcerned mask, she arched an eyebrow at him.

"And what would your name be?" she asked in what she hoped was a controlled tone.

For a moment, the young man simply continued staring at her, and then he seemed to realize that she had spoken to him and cleared his throat hastily. "William. M-my name is William, Your Highness."

Eleanor nodded slightly at this and then began to walk away. After all, a Princess speaking with a servant was not something that was to be encouraged. But when she felt a large hand on her arm, she had to stop to see what this William thought he was doing. Thankfully he seemed to realize his mistake and hastily released her.

"My apologies," he said humbly. "I…I was simply wondering…" he stammered for a moment, seemingly intimidated by the imperious glare that Eleanor was giving him. "If…If there was anyway that you would…know the name of which gardener would be best for me to speak to in order…to become more familiar with the gardens?"

Eleanor would have laughed if she were so inclined these days, but as she had not done so for so long, she did not bother to try now. "Perhaps the head gardener, Antony, is the best person to ask that, not the Princess of Lumen."

With that, she spun on her heel and walked calmly away, leaving William behind her in the hallway.

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William had not expected to run into the Princess Eleanor in the hallways of the castle. In fact, he had hoped to remain away from her until the next day in the gardens. But…he had to say, that meeting her here now was rather…serendipitous. It gave him a further chance to learn about her.

And what had he learned in this little meeting? That she was far colder than he had anticipated. At least, in the face of what she suspected was a servant. He had observed her with the king from a distance, though, and seen that the Princess was capable of being kind and affectionate. Even though she was not the sort who seemed capable of feeling joy after the death of her mother, there was a kind woman within her who simply was afraid to show it.

That, and she had the most beautiful eyes that William had ever seen in his life. Large and green, they were full of so much of her soul, from her sorrow at losing her mother to her intelligence and love of all things growing. So much could be seen within those lovely eyes, and William felt very drawn to the Princess because of those eyes. Perhaps for some other reasons as well, but at the moment, all he could think of were her eyes staring at him.

Shaking his head slightly, he cleared his throat and made his way slowly back to the rooms that he and Cedric were currently sharing. Pushing open the door, he arched an eyebrow at Cedric as the other young man looked up from setting out the meal that had been sent for.

"Ah, sire," Cedric greeted with a nod. "I was beginning to wonder if I should alert the king of the fact that you were missing,"

"Your concern is touching, Cedric," William muttered. "Though I always wondered why you thought it was appropriate for you to be so sarcastic around me."

"Because you have never corrected me, and I have never felt the need to stop," Cedric said with a slight smirk, arching an eyebrow at the Prince. "Now, I suggest that we have our meal before the food becomes inedible."

Sitting down across from Cedric, William shook his head in amusement and began eating the food brought into the room for them. "One of these days, that attitude you take is going to get you into trouble, Cedric," he murmured softly. "But for now, you're the only link to home that I have and I will have to live with you."

"A terrible burden, I can well imagine," Cedric said, completely deadpan. "However will you manage it?"

"I'll figure something out," William replied vaguely. "Now…let's just forget about how we'll survive living with each other and discuss the plan."

"Ah, yes, the plan," Cedric muttered, sitting down across from the Prince. "I take it that the Princess has yet to acknowledge your existence?"

"Actually…" William said slowly, smiling sheepishly.

Cedric rolled his eyes a little and shook his head, not bothering to say anything on that subject. "As I understand it, sire, your plan is to somehow make the Princess Eleanor fall in love with you by working within the gardens; her inner sanctum." When William nodded at this, Cedric continued. "What I don't understand, sire, is how you plan to do this. As a Princess, she will not be willing to socialize with a lowly gardener. It won't go well, especially if she learns about who you truly are. From what I have heard from the other servants, she greatly dislikes the various nobles seeking to meet her father's requirement of making her smile in order to marry her."

"And I cannot say that I blame her," William admitted. "But I am not merely doing this to gain her father's favor. I wish to know something about her first, and then seek her hand in marriage. Smile or no."

Cedric arched a pale eyebrow before smiling slowly and nodding his understanding. "Then I see no reason for this to fail, sire," he said with a shrug. "Why do you even need me here to discuss this? I shall go back to my lowly duties as a valet and allow you to seek your own answers."

Rolling his eyes slightly at Cedric's behavior, William turned his full attention to the meal in front of him. Right now, all he wanted was to eat and then go to bed.

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Author's Note: A bit of a filler chapter, I will admit, but it was a good filler chapter, yes? _Any_way. So, yes indeed, William has a plan. And it is a good plan. Not only is it a good plan, but it is fool proof. What could possibly go wrong?

Yeah, right. Anyway, a note on the characters!

Eleanor: she is a troubled girl, this one. She lost her mother and it majorly screwed with her. So she has become quite the little ice queen, but she desperately wants that façade to be melted away. Just not by the jerks who keep coming because she's the most beautiful Princess whose daddy is willing to marry her off to the first sucker lucky enough to get her to smile. She's waiting for Prince Charming. She just doesn't know he's right in front of her. We'll see how this plays out for her. Her age, you might ask? At this point, I'm putting her at seventeen or eighteen.

William: Good Lord, I love this boy. He's so awkward in an adorable way. I mean, he is too darn cute. We don't know much about who he is in the film, but the man who is so torn up about not having his daughter around for eighteen years had to have started out as a sweet young man. So I'm going with that. His age? Meh, I'd say somewhere between five and ten years older than Eleanor. Just a rough estimate.

Cedric: Good. God. Cedric. I have always wanted to write a snarky servant, and now I have an excuse to do it. You can bet that I will be doing it with flair, to say the least. This boy is going to become my own brand of Alfred Pennyworth combined with Lane from Oscar Wilde's _The Importance of Being Earnest_. I already adore this boy, and I am going to continue enjoying writing him. Age? A couple years younger than William, I'd think. We'll just see what happens with him and William as the plan continues to develop.

The plot? What plot? I'm making this up as I go! Mostly. Oh, don't worry though. I have some idea of what I want to happen. Reviews are love! Enjoy, my freaky darlings.


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